Re: Do you think that Kouros is the ultimate best male fragrance ever?

To directly answer the question, no. It is very good and obviously original, but as always, labeling the "best" something or other in an area as subjective as fragrance is ultimately an exercise in futility.

Re: Do you think that Kouros is the ultimate best male fragrance ever?

Not the absolute best, but I do love this one and wear it regularly. It works well with my skin. I have one of the more desired batches, if that makes sense. My bottles have more silver on them, on the bottom, top etc. Much different from most of the later reforms.

Re: Do you think that Kouros is the ultimate best male fragrance ever?

Originally Posted by CHSeifert

YES!

Nothing has yet beaten Kouros for me when you look at the overall package:

Uniqueness of scent
Brutality of smell
Longevity & Projection combined
Price
Versatility - can be worn all year round, in summer it smells even better

In short this fragrance is a mile mark in the history of male fragrances.

I understand the guys who think this smells of urinal cake, hospital and dentist, they most likely will never whole hearted get to appreciate Kouros.
For us fans - Kouros is what all niche frags only dream of being day in, day out - but will never be - NEVA' NEVER EVER !!

Well said. Also it has the best name/bottle and excels when it comes to manly sexiness. It sits on the throne alongside Moustache Concentree. Just thinking about it makes me want to give my bottle of Pure Malt to my little niece.

Re: Do you think that Kouros is the ultimate best male fragrance ever?

Kouros is a timeless classic, an unquestionable aphrodisiac, sensual, mysterious and romantic. It never fails to impress.

I wear six sprays when I walk into the nightclub, I approach the most attractive woman in the room, she asks me what I'm wearing (and wishes her boyfriend would wear that) and I always end up at her place for the night.

Re: Do you think that Kouros is the ultimate best male fragrance ever?

I strongly concur. I was about to write something to this effect, but Ken_Russell, as always, contributed a perfect comment to this thread.

Truly one of the most, if not THE most, polarizing scents of all time.

To each, their own.

Cheers,

ericrico

Originally Posted by Ken_Russell

Maybe not the absolute best, but almost certainly a scent likely to be often talked about almost for good or at least for a long time - it polarizes radically like almost no other male scent, it provokes passions and repulsions, it is loved, hated, wildly, intensely and wittily discussed, but unlikely to be overlooked anytime in near future

“Some perfumes are as fragrant as an infant’s flesh, sweet as an oboe’s cry, and greener than the spring; While others are triumphant, decadent or rich; Having the expansion of infinite things, like ambergris and musk, benzoin and frankincense, which sing the transports of the mind and every sense.”

Re: Do you think that Kouros is the ultimate best male fragrance ever?

Kouros again. You know...

I hear all this stuff on Basenotes about Kouros being a polarizing fragrance. You either love it or hate it, rah rah rah carefully measured discourse rah rah rehashed arguments ad nauseam rah rah blah. As for my own thirty-three-odd years of actually living on this planet (in several places around the globe, just to fend off the inevitable regional argument), I have never smelled Kouros on another human being, and if I did I would be severely disturbed, if not outright disgusted.

Not at all trying to disparage all of you fine gentlemen who are so vastly more well-versed in fine fragrance than I am, but seriously... to 99% of the populace, the people who don't share your refined tastes and knowledge, this either smells like urine or urinal cakes. Sure, this is a masterpiece of composition, and I applaud anyone who recognizes that and appreciates it for what it is, because hey, we're fume nerds over here and that's what this whole forum is about. But every time I hear someone say they actually wear Kouros on a day-to-day basis in the modern world with great success, it can't help but strike me as more wishful thinking internet-boasting than actual proper reality. Because, dude? Honestly. Urinal cakes. Even girls smell urinal cakes there, and they don't generally tend to even frequent places with urinal cakes in them.

This juice's application for any practical purpose is close to nil. I actually shudder to think what the people around you think of you when they smell that odor on you. I carry a certain sense of admiration for it because of its historical stature, but not once in a blue moon would I be caught dead wearing it because the people around me (as well as every other person in the modern world) would not even have a clue what to make of me.

It's like a 70s leisure suit: you can appreciate the historical stature, you can see the place it had in its particular cultural epoch and you can understand how it was awesome, but try wearing a Travolta-style white suit to a night out in any modern-day city and see how far it gets you, beyond the obvious novelty status. People will laugh and joke with you for a single drink, but try it beyond that and I'm guessing you'll see just how far the novelty stretches.

Kouros is the fragrance world's polyester suit - it had its time, but that time is over and done with by a long shot. It's an interesting (even intriguing) historical footnote, but in terms of today it is sadly and completely finished.

Re: Do you think that Kouros is the ultimate best male fragrance ever?

I smelled it a few months ago on a character at a bar. Believe it or not, it didn't smell half bad -- far less digusting than what I smelled in a test vial. The super sweet incense opening had already burned off and it was drier, animalic and floral. He said it was his signature and that he had found that women really responded to it.

Re: Do you think that Kouros is the ultimate best male fragrance ever?

Manatee -

Your thoughts are subjective and respected. However, to those who love the scent...Kouros is still as relevant today (if not even more) than it was when it was in its 'glory days'. It is a scent that introduces you without saying a word (then again, so does one's attire - and scent is part of how we present ourselves to all that we meet). ;-)

Personally, I can relate to how you feel as a lot of others are of this mindset. That is perfectly fine. Enjoy what you enjoy and leave Kouros for those who still appreciate it...and wear it with great adoration. There really isn't any in-between.

Cheers,

ericrico

Originally Posted by manatee

Kouros again. You know...

I hear all this stuff on Basenotes about Kouros being a polarizing fragrance. You either love it or hate it, rah rah rah carefully measured discourse rah rah rehashed arguments ad nauseam rah rah blah. As for my own thirty-three-odd years of actually living on this planet (in several places around the globe, just to fend off the inevitable regional argument), I have never smelled Kouros on another human being, and if I did I would be severely disturbed, if not outright disgusted.

Not at all trying to disparage all of you fine gentlemen who are so vastly more well-versed in fine fragrance than I am, but seriously... to 99% of the populace, the people who don't share your refined tastes and knowledge, this either smells like urine or urinal cakes. Sure, this is a masterpiece of composition, and I applaud anyone who recognizes that and appreciates it for what it is, because hey, we're fume nerds over here and that's what this whole forum is about. But every time I hear someone say they actually wear Kouros on a day-to-day basis in the modern world with great success, it can't help but strike me as more wishful thinking internet-boasting than actual proper reality. Because, dude? Honestly. Urinal cakes. Even girls smell urinal cakes there, and they don't generally tend to even frequent places with urinal cakes in them.

This juice's application for any practical purpose is close to nil. I actually shudder to think what the people around you think of you when they smell that odor on you. I carry a certain sense of admiration for it because of its historical stature, but not once in a blue moon would I be caught dead wearing it because the people around me (as well as every other person in the modern world) would not even have a clue what to make of me.

It's like a 70s leisure suit: you can appreciate the historical stature, you can see the place it had in its particular cultural epoch and you can understand how it was awesome, but try wearing a Travolta-style white suit to a night out in any modern-day city and see how far it gets you, beyond the obvious novelty status. People will laugh and joke with you for a single drink, but try it beyond that and I'm guessing you'll see just how far the novelty stretches.

Kouros is the fragrance world's polyester suit - it had its time, but that time is over and done with by a long shot. It's an interesting (even intriguing) historical footnote, but in terms of today it is sadly and completely finished.

Kouros is dead; long live Kouros(?)

“Some perfumes are as fragrant as an infant’s flesh, sweet as an oboe’s cry, and greener than the spring; While others are triumphant, decadent or rich; Having the expansion of infinite things, like ambergris and musk, benzoin and frankincense, which sing the transports of the mind and every sense.”

Re: Do you think that Kouros is the ultimate best male fragrance ever?

Kouros is not the ultimate anything. People say that just because of that guide book that gives 5 stars to Kouros. Kouros smells like urine, together with bright cleanliness, and it is a weird mixture. I appreciate the composition, but I feel self conscious wearing it. I have never worn it outside my home. I would feel very insecure wearing Kouros at work or worse, on the streets. People might hate me because of how I smell.

Re: Do you think that Kouros is the ultimate best male fragrance ever?

Though I think that it's a good fragrance, there are better fragrance choices than Kouros out there, both designer and niche. There are far, FAR worse choices as well (again, both designer and niche).

As they say, pick your poison (and I'm not referring to Dior).

Top 5 for Winter:
1) Musk Oud - By Kilian2) Straight to Heaven - By Kilian
3) Back to Black - By Kilian
4) Encre Noire - Lalique
5) M7 (vintage or Oud Absolu) - YSLMy mission statement: "I am not afraid to keep on living - I am not afraid to walk this world alone."

Re: Do you think that Kouros is the ultimate best male fragrance ever?

Originally Posted by ericrico

Manatee -

Your thoughts are subjective and respected. However, to those who love the scent...Kouros is still as relevant today (if not even more) than it was when it was in its 'glory days'. It is a scent that introduces you without saying a word (then again, so does one's attire - and scent is part of how we present ourselves to all that we meet). ;-)

Personally, I can relate to how you feel as a lot of others are of this mindset. That is perfectly fine. Enjoy what you enjoy and leave Kouros for those who still appreciate it...and wear it with great adoration. There really isn't any in-between.

Cheers,

ericrico

Hey ericrico,

I know that I'm being quite flippant in my dismissal of this legendary fragrance, but please be aware that I have nothing but love for those who rock Kouros and make no bones about it. I'm merely a product of my environment(s), and I just don't happen to particularly understand this fragrance's appeal. I'm perfectly content to leave it to the people who enjoy it. I would dearly love to understand how it makes sense in a social capacity, though. I just haven't had that experience, and I don't honestly see how it would ever happen for me (whether it'd be me wearing it or someone else).

Perhaps it's just my limited scenario. Could very well be. In any case, many happy returns to you and anyone else who wears Kouros and enjoys it.